PHOTOGRAPHY

The peacock quilt does have a story:
as sweethearts when we attempted
our first elopement
across the state line
to mobile alabama,
we drove south down
a squiggly old two lane highway of Mississippi.

somewhere along that piney woods stretch
we saw a garden of mellifluously colored chenille bedspreads
gently swaying with spring breezes on rope clothes lines.
some of the quilt backgrounds were orange, pink, purple & white.
we bought a faded green one for only $25 dollars.

my Art heart eye aches as i wish i had taken a photograph
of that southern memory set back from the highway:
two small white shanties
at the foot of the tall fragrant pine trees­
those polychrome pastel chenille bedspreads
like flags, lazily breathing - "blowing in the wind."
it was our first wedding present -
a glorious gift to ourselves - our future.

the symbolism of the peacock is
rebirth, renewal & fidelity.
the Gates of Paradise
are guarded
by a pair of peacocks...

it was a bedroom eye catcher­
kitschy by some aesthetics
yet regal in it's home sweet home
home made southern comfort
spread out with the sensuous chunky
head board & foot posts
of my grandparents bed
that i had been given.

the bedspread
graced our marital nest for
5 years 5 months & 3 days.

in the divorce of things
i kept the peacock quilt